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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/27420646">You love too much (do you have a place for me?)</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/Darkapik/pseuds/Darkapik'>Darkapik</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>One Piece</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Angst, Angst with a Happy Ending, Hurt/Comfort, It starts off really sad but I promise it gets better, It's as romantic as I can write, M/M, Pre-Relationship, Wich isn't a lot but I try, kind of</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-11-06</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-11-06</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-06 23:34:57</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Graphic Depictions Of Violence</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>3,143</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/27420646</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/Darkapik/pseuds/Darkapik</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>“Are you free now?”<br/>The words are ringing in his ears, echoing a conversation they had, a long time ago, a time where Law was all angles and sharp answers but now Law feels softer, melancholy taking the place of the rage he felt before Dressrosa.</p><p>"No. But I will be."</p><p>Or, a story where liberty and love are something Law doesn't let himself have but sometimes, you just can't escape it. (You also can't escape a certain idiot)</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Monkey D. Luffy &amp; Trafalgar D. Water Law, Monkey D. Luffy/Trafalgar D. Water Law</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>8</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>71</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>You love too much (do you have a place for me?)</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>Hi! Here I am again with a little romance this time! Well, I'm not really good at writing romance... I tried my best. I really like the idea of Law not being free because of Doflamingo and the death of Cora-San. Anyways, like I said before, english isn't my first language so please be gentle. Good reading!</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p> When the battle is finished, when the dust finally settles, when the earth is completely soaked in blood, he’s still here. Watching as his goal is accomplished, watching as the man he spent years resenting is finally defeated, broken glasses falling to the floor in the silence of victory. He’s still here. He feels numb, he feels like he’s supposed to be happy, supposed to be all smiles and thanks but he’s not. He’s an empty bottle rolling in the wind, waiting for somebody to crush him. He smells like blood, a metallic taste lingering in his mouth. He wants to die, he needs to die. There’s no place in the world for an empty shell like him, now that he has fulfilled Cora-san will. He knows deep down that it’s not what he would have wanted but he’s doing his best to ignore this little voice nibbling at his brain. He is fury, teeth clenched, the adrenaline of the battle still running through his veins. He’s sadness, tears that won’t fall and cracks all over his carefully crafted mask. He’s envy, when he looks at Straw-hat sleeping without worries, like he wasn’t dragged to a fight he has nothing to do with because he’s an idiot with a heart too big for the merciless sea they call home.</p><p>He’s a million of feelings, crashing and hurtling in his brain but the emptiness is covering everything like a heavy blanket suffocating him. The people of Dressrosa are crying, laughing and screaming their happiness at the world. He’s here, when everyone is brought into the tiny house apart from everything. His wounds are bandaged and the blood clean up but he’s hurting hurting hurting and his heart is bleeding under the gauze. He closes his eyes and lets sleep take over him. It’s a black void swallowing everything until he’s unconscious. He doesn’t dream, doesn’t have any nightmares either, how can he when his living nightmare, the monster mother tells their child about, is in chains and on his way to a dark cell where the sun doesn’t even dare shine. He hopes that, but the doubt is eating his mind because what if the secrets Doflamingo holds over the government are stronger than what happened in Dressrosa? He sleeps like the dead and maybe he is because he sure doesn’t feel like he’s living right now. </p><p>Straw hat wakes up. It’s not extraordinary, there is no cries, no trumpets, he just opens his eyes and eats like a starved man. But even with this simple action, Law can feel the others relaxing suddenly, like their world have started to turn again, like they can finally breathe and Law understands. How could he not? The captain in front of him is his savior (and his captor in a way, he chained him to a life he wasn’t expecting to live and Law still doesn’t know if that’s a good thing or not), Law owes him his life and much more.<br/>
Straw hat eats, talks and, eventually looks at Law. The look he is sending him isn’t really disappointed or angry but more curious as to why he isn’t laughing and talking with the others. It’s a look Law does not want to address right now so he turns away from the other’s gaze.</p><p>Luckily, the Marines seem to finally wake up from whatever they were doing and try to catch the “bad and evil pirates”. In passing, he hears about the presence of Sengoku and he stops. He is weighing his options because he knows Sengoku was someone important to the man he could almost call father and he doesn’t want to miss the chance. He separates quietly from the others and heads in the direction he last heard of the now retired Fleet Admiral. Law found him, or the opposite? He’s not so sure anymore. They talk, talk and Law is reopening old wounds but he doesn’t care. His heart is raw, torn apart and badly sewn together again, his eyes are burning, his tears threatening to fall but he doesn’t cry, doesn’t let himself show weakness. Someone knew Cora-San. Cora-San was loved and it’s all that matters. He runs because he knows Luffy is causing trouble again and he runs because he doesn’t want to acknowledge a marine of all people is making him open, too open for his liking(he also runs because he doesn’t want to stop and look at what’s left behind, of what could have been). He wonders distantly if that makes Sengoku his kind of grandfather. He then decides that one crazy marine grandfather per alliance is enough and he stuffs that in the box of questions he keeps for later.</p><p>He is feeling calmer now, talking with Sengoku and sleeping cleared his mind and he doesn’t feel as bad as before. Living for the memory of Cora-san isn’t something he considered before, when he was filled with rage and all he wanted to do was kill Dofflamingo, watch him burn burn until there is nothing but ashes. And he knows he can’t just live for this reason but he feels like it’s a beginning. The thought of a beginning is something strange to him who always thought that taking down Dofflamingo would be an ending, to his life, his goal and his grief. But now, his whole world is turned upside down and he needs time.</p><p>But time isn’t something he can afford now because apparently Luffy picked a fight with an admiral and they are all escaping on a ship and the admiral drowned their pursuers? Law shakes his head and stops questioning things because Luffy is crazy and the craziness seems contagious.<br/>
They got on a ship, Law doesn’t bother recalling the name and apparently the others want Straw Hat to be their captain? Law doesn’t even shake his head because he has come to know the younger pirate and he’s sure that Luffy won’t accept it. Because he’s crazy like that, the good kind of stupid even though he knows Luffy isn’t, he is just thinking in his  very own way (doesn’t stop him from acting stupid though). Crazy enough to refuse the offer when everyone would have said yes to this kind of power. But the others are stubborn and a pact of some sort is established.<br/>
 <br/>
Then, they have a party because of course, everything has to end in a party with a big feast. And Law isn’t against that, the vicious part of him satisfied to see so much joy and laughs at the defeat of the demon, but he also doesn’t feel like drinking. The best part is also the fact that nobody pays attention to him, everyone too busy drinking and celebrating the fall of the “Mingo family” as Luffy calls it. Law can muses and thinks all he wants, sat on an isolated part of the ship. The night comes and the stars shine and Law is here, watching. The sea is calm and the sound of the waves is soothing the part of him that is still reeling and the part of him that is angrily commanding to go back and kill the monster while it’s still possible.<br/>
 But Law doesn’t take orders, least of all from himself so he chases them away and wills them to never come back. The night is pretty advanced now, but Law knows he won’t sleep tonight because insomnia is a pain and doesn’t like when he sleeps a full night like yesterday.</p><p> They are going to sleep now, one by one, heavy drunk steps resonating on the wood. He feels safe to come to a more crowded part of the ship. There aren’t many people right now and the only ones who aren’t drunk or asleep should be him and Straw Hat. Because Straw Hat doesn’t need alcohol to act like an idiot and is proving the theory further by currently dancing on the table with a few drunkards. Law scoffs at that and sits alone against a mast, intending to stay that way. But of course, like it seems to always be the case with the younger captain, his plans fall apart as the other pirate suddenly notices him and detaches himself from the dancers to approach him, eyes lightning up and smile blinding. But when he comes closer, he halts and tilts his head to the side. Law watches him, confusion showing on his face before he decides to drop it and attributes it to the strangeness of his ally. The other seems to finally find what he is looking for or give up on searching, Law is not sure, and sits next to him. He doesn’t say anything for a while and the silence is kind of nice but Law knows there is more to that, more than just sitting next to each other waiting for the night to pass. He still doesn’t say a word, waiting.<br/>
And suddenly, they are alone, everyone being gone to bed or falling asleep right on the spot. It’s no good because Law remembers he can’t talk to Luffy now, because he is still vulnerable, his heart is raw and his walls in ruins but they are alone and he isn’t a coward in any ways so he stays where he is, waiting for the young captain to talk, to sabotage his only chances at returning to his usual cold self. Luffy is sitting next to him, close but not too close and Law can only feel relieved that the other knows his limits and knows where to dance around them without making him feel claustrophobic and distantly, Law asks himself, when did Straw Hat has begun to know him that well and shouldn’t that worry him a little? But Law, for once, trusts and trusts. And maybe it will end badly, maybe the man next to him will only make his walls higher and stronger but maybe he will help him. It’s a gamble Law is willing to take.</p><p>“Are you free now?”</p><p>The words are ringing in his ears, echoing a conversation they had, a long time ago, a time where Law was all angles and sharp answers but now Law feels softer, melancholy taking the place of the rage he felt before Dressrosa.</p><p>[“Are you really free?”<br/>
Law freezes and he wants to answer “of course” but he thinks of Doflamingo and he can almost see a pink boa wrapped around his hands like shackles, a devilish shadow lurking and trying to control him. His fight or flight instinct kicks in and he growls, eyes narrowing. His control is slipping at an alarming rate and he must keep up the appearance so he answers, wanting nothing more than to walk away.<br/>
“Didn’t you say that pirates are supposed to be free?”<br/>
“I said that yeah. But that’s not an answer.”<br/>
“I’m not obligated to answer every of your questions Straw Hat-ya, I’m not one of your nakama.”<br/>
The younger pirate looks at him, a strange sadness lingering on his face for an almost nonexistent second but he just covers his ear and walks away while whistling.<br/>
“I’m not hearing anything!”<br/>
And just like that, the conversation is forgotten.]</p><p>He thinks of this monster, tall and big, laughing maniacally as he shoots him (shoots Cora san one time, two times and he can’t scream), he thinks of a foot ready to crush him, of Luffy who stopped it, who fought for Law, who beat the monster for him, who screamed his pain for him and he thinks of a smile and an “I love you”.  He answers, truthfully because he can’t lie to him after all they went through.</p><p>“Not really. But I will be.”</p><p>“Good.”</p><p>Straw Hat is smiling now, a satisfied smile and Law wants to punch him, erase this stupid grin because he shouldn’t care that much, that idiot is going to get killed with an open heart like that. And of course, because this little shit can read people as easily as Law can operate them, he catches what Law is thinking and opens his snarky little mouth.</p><p>“You know, it’s harder to love than hate. And an adventure is boring if it’s easy!”</p><p>“You say it like you can choose to love at will.”</p><p>“You can’t?”<br/>
Of course this idiot would say that. He wants to punch him.</p><p>“You’re saying complete nonsense, continue like this and I’m punching you.”</p><p>“What’s stopping you?”<br/>
Law raises his eyebrows, looking at the younger captain with surprise. Not that the idea wasn’t appealing but the night has been here for a long time already.</p><p>“You want to fight this late?”</p><p>“Well, it’s not like there is any meat left and everybody is asleep. Plus, I always wanted to fight Torao!”</p><p>“When you say it like that, you sound like you want to beat me up.”</p><p>“What? No way!...well maybe a little but I just want to know how strong is Torao.” <br/>
 <br/>
And Law doesn't need to answer because Luffy has the gift of cornering him with only a few sentences and the word “free” keeps repeating in his mind so much that he can almost see the metaphorical shackles he keeps reinforcing again and again. It makes him angry, burning with the itch to fight and he has a perfectly willing candidate in front of him. Who was he to deny the other captain? By a mutual unspoken arrangement, they both chose not to use their powers. Even with Luffy’s crazy healing rate, both have wounds they have to be careful about. Law has the feeling Luffy didn’t care about this kind of thing and as a surgeon himself, he felt a pang of pity for his doctor. But before being a doctor he was a fighter and now was not the time to muse about this kind of thing.</p><p>It’s not a fair fight by any means, they both play dirty. It’s emotions against emotions and sometimes the fight feels more like a dance than anything. But then, a punch or a kick and blood dripping down both of their noses remind them of what’s exactly happening and it’s exhilarating. They both have feelings that need to be evacuated and what’s better than a good old fight?</p><p>It’s not pretty. It’s violence and brute force. No sound but their breath, flesh hitting flesh, drop a blood on the used wood and the waves, silent audience.<br/>
By the time the fight end, they both aren’t in good conditions, Luffy has a surely broken nose judging by the trail of blood and his right eye has begun to darken but he is smiling, the kind of smile that Law doesn’t quite understand, a smile that makes Law feels like he matters in some strange ways.</p><p>Law isn’t any better, his bandaged arm sending him waves of pain and he is pretty sure he didn’t limp like that before and his smile is filled with blood but he smiles none less.<br/>
They are sprawled on the floor, a mess of limbs and they are both out of breath but they’re at peace.</p><p>“You fight good Torao”</p><p>“You are not bad either Straw Hat-ya”</p><p>They are touching, burning with the last remnant of the battle and Law, for once, doesn’t care. Luffy’s grabbing his arm now, the bad one. Law winces a bit but doesn’t pull because he knows the stubbornness of the other.</p><p>“They did a really good job on your arm! Does it still hurt?”</p><p>“A little bit. But it’s going to be better with time.”</p><p>“I hope so! Then we can fight each other good.”</p><p>He chuckled at that. After the short exchange, they both fell silent, letting the sea lull them into a peaceful state.</p><p>“You said you can’t love at will but have you tried?”</p><p>“I loved someone once. Then I learned how to close my heart because loving again is not worth the pain.”</p><p>“Are you saying they were not worth the pain?”</p><p>“No! Just…I don’t want to love another one just to see them die again”</p><p>Law is open, vulnerable. The words don’t stop coming and they leave him like the kid he was, full of grief and wanting the world to die with him, the kid that learned to love only for it to be taken out of his grip and killed without hesitation while he screamed screamed screamed. Strangely, it doesn’t really hurt. Not the raw pain he is used to. It’s a soft pain, like reminiscing someone softly, words just a murmur while he can picture the man in front of him. It hurts but don’t at the same time and Law doesn’t know what to do about this feeling. It feels like love, it feels like healing from an old wound.</p><p>“I used to think that too.”</p><p>Law is almost startled at the voice interrupting his questioning, he could almost forget him if it weren’t for the hand still on his arm, reposing lightly.</p><p>“After Ace, I mean.<br/>
I was… angry. At myself, the world, Ace.<br/>
And I thought that everything was useless. The …apa-thing?”</p><p>“Apathy” Law’s interruption is quiet, a murmur lost in the wind.</p><p>“Yeah, that. It took over everything. I didn’t want to love ever again.<br/>
But then… I realized that I just had to be strong enough.<br/>
Enough to be able to protect the ones I loved and the ones I’ll love.”</p><p>“You make it sound so easy when in reality it’s not that simple and you know it.”</p><p>“It is! You should try with me since I won’t die until I become the Pirate King.”</p><p>“You are crazy … I’m not one of your crew Straw-hat.”</p><p>“I know. But I love you still.”</p><p>Law just laughs laughs laughs, an empty sound without any joy in it.</p><p>“You shouldn’t throw those words in the wind Straw Hat.”</p><p>The younger tilts his head, confused. He looks like he wants to say something but stay silent after seeing Law’s face. It’s good because if he continued, Law might cry, punch him for good this time or throw him into the sea, he’s not sure which.</p><p>After a moment, he speaks because he’s stubborn, like all D’s are and he should know it since he is one as well but Luffy still manages to catch him out of guard every time.</p><p>“Well, you should try it, at least.”</p><p>“Maybe one day”<br/>
And with the night breeze brushing the other captain’s hair and the starry sky reflecting in his black eyes, Law is scared to admit that he kind of wants to.</p><p>They wake up still on the floor, limbs tangled together when the sun finally shines on the ship.  It’s the beginning of a day, of a week, of a year even, and it sounds like liberty.</p>
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